New county attorney debuts

Wade Gateley introduced at March 12 BOCC meeting

The Wade Gateley era officially began this week as Elbert County's new top legal official was introduced at the March 12 BOCC meeting.“I've been practicing law in Colorado for nearly 32 years and am looking forward to taking over the reins here in Elbert County,” said Gateley. “This is an exciting opportunity.”Gateley, whose first day on the job was March 10, was introduced at the Board of County Commissioners' meeting by County Manager Ed Ehmann.“We're excited to have Wade as a member of our team,” said Ehmann. “His experience will be a valuable asset to Elbert County.”Gateley replaces Alex Beltz, who resigned as county attorney in February in order to accept a job with a Denver law firm.Currently living in Colorado Springs where he has been operating his own law practice, Gateley served for 16 years in a part-time capacity as Kit Carson County's attorney.“My wife has a job in the Springs, so at least for the time being,” he said, “I will be commuting to Kiowa.”During his first BOCC meeting, Gateley listened attentively but did not speak until near the end, when he was asked a question pertaining to a pending oil and gas permit application before the BOCC.“I'm going to get our new attorney's feet wet,” Commissioner Robert Rowland said, before asking the question, which Gateley answered to the commissioner's satisfaction.With the recent dismissal of a lawsuit filed by county resident Don Pippin against the BOCC — which accused commissioners of defamation by labeling Pippin a “potential terrorist” — Gateley's biggest initial challenge is following up on an appeal by the county to an administrative judge's ruling that the BOCC violated the Fair Campaign Practices Act in its hiring of local consultant Tim Buchanan to promote a proposed 2012 mill levy hike.In that case, the judge fined Rowland personally $1,000, a controversial move that prompted Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler's office to intervene and ask that the judge's ruling be invalidated because Rowland is a public official and not liable personally for decisions made by the entire BOCC.

Comments

Once again, George Lurie has published inaccurate information. Rowland's fine that was assessed for violation of the FCPA is $1,000. And Mr. Pippin's ordeal is not over as he has indicated that an appeal is in the works. Maybe if Lurie would get his facts straight, more folks would actually read the Elbert County News.

The comment posted here by Ms. Duvall, Chair of the Elbert County Democratic Party is the same old "sour-grapes" approach that she and her followers are spouting at each and every action and decision made by anyone other than those who tow her ideological line. It's becoming very tiresome and apparent that her string of obstructionist positions, lacking any positive or construction suggestions is just another feeble attempt at satisfying her small but noisy base.

Seriously? Inaccurate reporting is not suddenly acceptable 'cause calling it out gets on your nerves, sir. Your response to Ms. Duvall's concerns is petty and off point. I expect our local reporters to get their information RIGHT or correct it when it is pointed out to him/her. I hope Mr. Lurie will care enough to amend his article so it reflects accurate information.

The Elbert County Left, herein represented by Duvall and Sward, led us to a jobless Elbert County economy stuck in 1930's era agriculture. They continue to fight loudly against every attempt to bring jobs into the county, and attack every county official who does not uphold their anti-human environmentalism. What have any of them done to actually improve living conditions here? Not a thing. Their planning ideas have shut down the supply of real estate, the potential for business, and the opportunity for jobs. While providing no real solutions themselves, they attack people who actually put solutions on the table. I've had enough of their phony superiority.

Brooks, can you be any more clueless? Your voice in any argument relies on your self-sanctimonious tone of conservative righteousness. You have not one fact to back up your assertion that Duavall or Sward or anyone who is a democrat has had anything to do with the demise of this county. You have to go back over twenty years to find a democrat in office in Elbert County Government. If there had been any ideas worthy of the citizens attention out here believe me, change would have come. But it has not come and you think you can blame any of that on the local Dems? It is your voice in defense of crony capitalism, nepotism and incompetence that is the reason nobody comes to this county. You Brooks! You are the only self professed intellectual I have ever met who would go to a horse whisperer for a myocardial infarction on the grounds that her conservative values trump a medical degree in the hands of a certified heart surgeon. Grow up you blow hard. Get your party to put up better and more competent leaders before you whine at the minority whose only power is in your twisted mind. We show up because that is the way it works in a representative form of government. Too harsh big fella?

Perpetually offended Democrats, most on the dole of some sort, dictating laws to govern the unwashed masses who don't even know they exist, super sensitive gamers [themselves] using the system for their personal protection from the vicissitudes of life - and claiming nobility for it, offend me. I'll admit it. I'm a victim of their non-stop offensive behavior. In a "free society," until they start shooting at people like me - which history has shown they always eventually do BTW - all I can do is write about their offenses in the hope they might see reason. But they're not reasonable people; they're users. And they're getting worse so quickly now. Fascism accelerates.

Perpetually offended describes Brooks to a tee. Imperialists, those who align with Brooks, make absolutely groundless claims and then hide in the word salad that they create. In his posts here, Brooks blames the economic failings of the county on two women who have not dictated a single law or statute in Elbert County. Not satisfied that his false claims have hit their mark he digs deeper trying to invoke the specters of socialism from the 1930's and pin democrats with an evil agenda guaranteed to bring all good capitalists to their knees...cue the spooky music and run the Vincent Price laugh track from Thriller! Then, just when you think that he cannot become more strange, he ratchets it up another notch. He announces that the Fascist Left will be gunning for him. That's right, you heard it here. George "The Reporter" once again does his usual mangling of the facts and readers bring it to the attention of the readers and that is grounds for character assassination, throwing anybody that disagrees in a pile of false insinuation. If you do not like the ethics violations of Commissioner Rowland, you are on the dole. If you want to keep oil companies from using produced waters on dirt roads that contain known carcinogens then you hate the landowners and their rights. It is all hyperbole, and vitriol. Brooks is becoming a cartoon. I defend his right to spew his nonsense. In fact, I encourage him to try and ratchet this up even further because he is doing us all a favor...he is exposing his pseudo- intellectualism which is really just baseless name calling with a vast vocabulary. Your turn, Brooks. I expect now you will be blaming the loss of a Malaysian airliner on the cabal of Elbert County Leftists....cue the spooky music and Vincent one more time for good measure.

This has nothing to do with turf, Brooks. This has to do with with working for what you believe is correct and fair. Good luck with your gold star. Sometimes you find them in the bottom of a box of CrackerJack. Sometimes you work against all odds and you earn self-respect which is better than a gold star any day. You see how that works, Brooks? No, I don''t expect that you do.

Brooks--As a right-wing blowhard in ultra-conservative Elbert County, you are definitely the first person that comes to mind when I think of the term "political victim." Oh, the tribulations and sufferings you must endure. But, your whiny, ad hominem attacks are always an entertaining read, so thanks for that. By the way, it appears you overlooked the first rule of debate--he who first compares his opponent to a Nazi loses ("Someday I'll wear a gold star for it." Seriously? Give me a break.).

Question is, what about the Elbert County News makes all these Democrats come out to spit on and slash at every word and person who questions their orthodoxy? It's not like their projections of all their own faults onto their non-orthodox targets aren't obvious, as if all the name calling, the downgrades and insults don't jump off the screen. But why draw the battle line here? What is it about this place?

It is pretty simple, Brooks. The Elbert County News is supposed to be a legitimate paper. The only complaint, which they were attacked by you for, was that they had reported the story with errors. To the paper's credit, they fixed the initial complaint. That is when Rowland and you decided to trash readers who want accuracy. The readers happened to be Democrats. You despise them and the argument ensued.

Robert, as you know, I've been polite and convivial with you Democrats whenever we've spoken. I guess you gain some currency with your readers by hating on me in print, though I wish there was more to your positions than misrepresentation of the founded work that I regularly publish on elbertcounty.net, and misrepresentations of me. A real debate on the merits would be refreshing.